Pit-silo-wall constructor.



R E. DILL. PIT .SlLO WALL CONSTRUCTOR. APPLICATION FILED AUG-19,1914.RENEWED MAR. 1,1917.

Patented Apr. 10, 1917.

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and as a spreader,

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RICHARD E. DILL, or IBELVIDERiE, NEBRASKA.

PIT-SILO-WALL CONSTRUCTOR.

Application filed August 19, 1914,

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, RICHARD E. DILL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Belvidere, in the county of Thayer and State of Nebraska,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pit-Silo- \VallConstructors, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates, generally, to apparatus for applyingplastic concrete to the walls of hollow, cylindrical buildingstructures, and it proposes an improved apparatus of the class orcharacter indicated which is especially designed for use in connectionwith underground silos. The apparatus in question is SO constructed andarranged as to operate not only to apply the concrete to the wall of thesilo, but also to complete the cutting of said wall prior to theapplication of the concrete, to which end it contemplates the provisionof an implement which serves both as a cutter or scraper the implementbeing mounted upon a frame which revolves about a fixed axis.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, whereof,

Figures 1 and 2 are views in side elevation and in plan, respectively,showing the apparatus in use;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail cross-section of the revolving frame, takenon line 8'3, Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged detail sectional views of the plastercontainer and the aforementioned implement, carried by the said frame;and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse section on line 66, Fig. 1.

As previously stated, the improved apparatus constituting this inventionis designed primarily for concreting the walls of underground silos suchsilos, as is generally known, being produced by digging a cylindricalhole in the ground and then a plying plastic concrete to the wall of thehole. The greatest difficulty ordinarily experienced in the constructionof a silo of the character indicated resides in the formation of a trulyperpendicular smooth concrete wall of substantially uniform thickness,for only such walls will possess the requisite resistance against cavinin; but, on the other hand, the wall of t e average excavated silo isnot smooth, but full of depressions,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 110 119153.

hollows and the like, and is seldom perpendicular to the surface of theground and of uniform thickness. I propose to remedy these defects byconstructing the present apparatus in such a way as to insure theproduction, under any and all conditions, of a silo having atruly-cylindrical, concretesurfaced wall, the thickness of which is uniform throughout and may be varied at will.

Accordingly ,the procedure is substantially as follows :A narrow hole 1is first dug at a point which will be approximately central of theproposed silo, the hole having a depth, say, of twenty feet, and intothis hole is inserted the lower end of a rigid or inflexible, )ole ormast 2 which is to subsequently orm the fixed axis or pivot about whichthe hereinafter described frame 3 is adapted to swing. The said mast maybe constructed in any desired manner, so long as it is incapable ofyielding, but it preferably consists of a vertical metal pipe 4: of theproper length and diameter, the interior of which contains a filling ofhardened, or set concrete 5, the mast end bein secured in place in thebottom of the hole y means of a concrete filling 6 which is poured intosaid hole in a plastic state and then allowed to set.

The upper portion of the hole 1 is then enlarged for a depth of aboutsix feet as indicated by the numeral 7, the diameter of such enlargementbeing slightly less than that desired for the silo. At the completion ofthis operation, the revoluble frame 3 is connected to the pole andlowered until its bottom is just a little below the upper edge of theenlargement, the frame being intended.

to be utilized both in the scraping of the wall of the enlargement and,also, in the application of the concrete thereto. As shown in Figs. 1 to3, the said frame is of triangular shape, and preferably consists of ahorizontal base board or bar 8, which is disposed fiatwise andprovided'at its inner end with an opening for the passage of the masttherethrough, a second horizontal bar 9 which is mounted upon bar 8 butis arranged edgewise instead of flatwise and is slightly shorter thanthe said bar 8, an upright bar 10 which is mounted upon the inner end ofbar 8 and connected thereto and to the inner end of bar 9, and aninclined bar 11 which is connected at its upper end to the upper end ofbar 10 and at its lower end to the lower ends of bars 8 and 9..

' 1, and the trowel initially These bars may At its upper end, the frameis equipped with a suitable clasp or strap 12, adapted to engage themast, so that tilting and similar .movements are thus prevented.

At its outer end, the bar 9 is provided with an eye-bolt 13, or thelike, to which is hinged the implement which is designed to effecteither the scraping or the spreading operation, or both For ordinarypurposes, the same implement may be employed in both instances and mayconsist, as here shown, of a trowel 14 which is arranged in a verticalplane and has one end sharpened or beveled. The angular adjustment ofthe trowel may be effected. in any desired manner as for instance, bymeans of a pair of threaded bolts 15, arranged at opposite sides of itshinge or pivot and rotatably mounted in threaded bearings 16 attached tothe upper face of bar 8, the outer ends of said bolts contacting withthe trowel, as will be understood from Fig. 2. Consequently, by merelyrotating the bolts in the proper direction, the trowel will be caused toswing about its hinge into the required position. Also the bolt 13itself may be adjusted to move the trowel toward ,or from the wall ofthe enlargement.

Mechanism of any suitable character may be provided for eficcting therotation of the frame necessary to the cutting operation, or ifpreferred, such rotation may be produced manually, so that the saidmecha nism, even if employed, forms no part of the invention, whereforeillustration and description are omitted. Means or mechanism is alsoprovided for movably supporting the frame upon the mast in such a way asto permit it to be lowered gradually during both the cutting and theconcreting operations, and in the construction illustrated, a rope orother flexible element 17 is employed for this purpose, the frame beingattached to one end of the rope and the latter then led over a pulley 18at the top of the mast, its free end being held by the operator.

lit will be understood, therefore, from the foregoing that after theframe has been lowered into the enlarged portion 7 of the hole adjusted,the frame is rotated, and after it has made a complete revolution it isagain rotated, the steps s ecified being repeated until the bottom 0 theenlargement is reached. The frame is then raised, and the troweladjusted to move its cutting edge slightly further outward, after whichthe rotation is again commenced, and in this way the wall of theenlargement is gradually shaved or scraped down until the requireddiameter is obtained. The apparatus is then again raised, and equippedwith the concrete supplying device, the trowel being used to spread theconcrete which is fed thereto in a wet or plastic state.

There may be employed as a container for the concrete a hopper which ismounted upon the top of the frame at the opposite side of the mast fromthe trowel, so as to act, to some extent, as a counterweight. Thishopper is provided with a discharge spout 20 opening into a screw.conveyer 21 containing a screw 22 driven by suitable gearing 23, thecasing of the screw opening into a downwardly-inclined pipe 24 thatconveys the concrete to the trowel, to be spread by the latter againstthe wall of the enlargement. When the trowel is to be utilized to applythe concrete, a segmental table 25 is preferably connected to the outerend of the frame bar 8, as shown, the curvature of the outer edge ofsaid table being substantially the same as that of the wall itself. Thelower edge of the trowel is allowed to rest or nearly rest upon theupper face of the table, and the concrete is fed from the container tothe space between the trowel and the wall, so as to be spread by theformer during the rotation of the frame, the aforementioned pipe 24preferably having its discharge end projecting through an opening 26 inthe trowel.

The actual concreting operation is substantially similar in the main, tothe cutting or scraping operation; that is to say, the supply of plasticconcrete to the trowel is started, and the frame rotated, the said framebeing lowered after each complete revolution until the entire surface ofthe wall has been plastered with the cement. The thickness of the layeror coating of concrete may be varied at will by adjusting the trowel inthe proper manner, as will be understood, and since the wall has beengradually shaved down to the required size and the concrete appliedgradually, the finished wall will be of truly cylindrical of theoperation, and its surface will be perfectly smooth and perpendicular tothe bottom of the hole.

What I claim is 1. In a plastering machine, the combination with avertical mast, of a horizontally rotatable frame mounted thereon, andprovided with a spreading implement, a segmental table positioned uponsaid frame with its resultant convex edge arranged to conform to thesurface to which the plaster is to be applied, said spreading implementapproximately resting upon said table, and means for supplying plasterto said spread ing implement.

2. In a plastering machine, the combination of a horizontally rotatableframe, a tool hinged intermediate its ends to the outer shape at theconclusion end of said frame, and adjusting means ar- 130 point of saidtool and longitudinally movable with respect to said frame and upon 01)-posite sides of-said hinge-point, for effecting 15 the angularadjustment of said tool to the Work to be operated upon, and a supportWhereon said frame is mounted.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD E. DILL. Witnesses:

FRANK H. HARRIS, GUY L. MORRIS.

